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Lance Class Medium Cruiser
One of the lightest Medium cruisers in tonnage, they were designed primarily to counter smaller starships rather than equivalent ships. Their phase cannon and heavy phase canon arrays have excellent coverage but its performance is underwhelming in other areas. In the Faction Wars they were used to good effect against Batlecruisers and Attack Cruisers but were incredibly vulnerable when fighting near Super Heavy Cruisers. The Kavarians used this knowledge to good effect decimating the Terran fleets in the early days of the second war. Despite its shortcomings the Terrans continue to utilize the design though they have upgraded it several times. Pirate gangs are known to have salvaged older models from battle sites. Upgrades While the Lance class can receive normal system and equipment upgrades like any other Faction ship these have long proven to be insufficient for front line combat. Because of this the Terrans have developed a number of upgrade package add-ons both temporary and permanant, to be attached to the hull. Most of these increase a ship's shields, armor, and sublight engine power, though others are more specialised. These have been compared to the F-16 upgrade programs of early 21st century Earth. Early Upgrades and Modifications As a result of Veckron weapon development and their deployment in the First Faction War there was an immediate demand for more platforms capable of launching these powerful weapons. Before the start of the Second Faction War production was shifted to a model with a dedicated special weapon hardpoint in the bow. These could be fitted with a Veckron Torpedo launcher, a twin fusion cannon turret, or an expanded launch bay for shuttles or fighters. Some older models were also refit to this configuration. Mid-Life Upgrade After the Faction Wars the Terran government began to impliment and increasing number of upgrade programs intended to keep the Lance class in service. They were still the cheapest and easiest to produce Medium cruiser they could field and with industry still recovering from the wars it was decided to keep them in service. Improved sublight drives gave the class better mobility letting it compete with a wider range of threats. Not long after this modifications were developed making it easier to add larger upgrade modules. These would see increasing use among the far flung colony fleets as piracy worsened. Neeran War Upgrades By the time the Factions declared war on the South Reach League there were many local variations of upgrade modules being produced. Civilian Governments referred to many of these as Colonial Defense Upgrade Packages. Most Neeran War upgrades attempt to add more fusion or plasma weaponry. With the development of the Dominion's LD plasma cannons these smaller weapons are fast becoming a favourite. House Ber'helum Upgrade By far the most expensive upgrade for the Lance class is one developed by a House Ber'helum consortium. While only seeing limited production its capability has dramatically increased the combat capability of these ships. Many have compared it with strapping a fast battleship to the Lance hull. Detractors contend that resources would be better spent on newer more capable designs. Variants Shiva Upgrade - A modification to the bow section of the ship that mounts a large Aries torpedo battery. The hull of the Lance class has also served as the basis of at least one other ship. Wasp Class Medium Support Carrier A cheap starfighter carrier based on an enlarged Lance hull. Category:Starships Category:Medium Cruisers Category:Terran Alliance Category:Ships